Common Passage Purposes

Here are six of the most common passage purposes. Make certain to take notes on these common purposes for future reference.

1. To EXPLAIN: The author wants to explain a phenomenon — specifically, why that phenomenon occurred. (Often he will contrast the "real story" with the previously-believed, or commonly-believed, version.)
   
   
2. To ADVOCATE: The author wants to argue for, to recommend, a particular proposal or approach or idea. (Such an author will often, in the course of the passage, bring up possible objections and try to demolish them.)
   
   
3. To REBUT: The author wants to rebut or challenge someone else's idea or theory. Your question as you read should be: "Is the author merely critical of that idea, or does he have one to offer in its place?"
   
   
4. To COMPARE OR CONTRAST: The author wants to examine the similarities and differences between two ideas, theories, proposals, or schools of thought. Your question as you read should be: "Which (if either) does the author favor?"
   
   
5. To CRITIQUE: The author wants to evaluate the success or failure, the quality or deficiency, of a policy or organization. The root of the word is "value" — that is, to assess whether something is good or bad.
   
   
6. To DESCRIBE: The author wants to present the salient facts and features, but deliberately takes no positions and makes no judgments. Such a passage is totally objective. Rest assured, the testmaker will create questions to test whether you recognize that the author expresses no personal opinions.

Now let's get some practice in identifying the author's purpose.